Yankee Girl at Fort Sumter eBook

Many eyes turned to watch the smiling colored woman
and the delighted little negro girl who walked down
King Street that afternoon, one on each side of a
little white girl who looked as well pleased as her
companions, for Sylvia decided that no time should
be lost in telling Mr. Robert Waite of how greatly
his generosity was appreciated.

He welcomed Sylvia with his usual cordiality, and
told Aunt Connie that he wished her good fortune,
and sent her and Estralla home.

“I will walk back with your young mistress,”
he said, and Sylvia felt that it was the proudest
day of her life when she walked up King Street beside
the friendly southerner.

“He talks just as if I were grown up,”
thought Sylvia gratefully, when Mr. Waite spoke of
the forts, and of the possibilities of war between
the northern and southern states.

“Tell your father not to hasten his preparations
to leave Charleston; you are among friends, and these
difficulties may be adjusted,” Mr. Waite said
as he bade Sylvia good-bye, and wished her a happy
Christmas.

CHAPTER XIX

SYLVIA MAKES A PROMISE

“It doesn’t seem a bit like Christmas,”
declared Sylvia, as she stood at the sitting-room
window looking out at the falling rain.

Christmas day of 1860 was a gloomy, rainy day in Charleston,
and many people felt exactly as Sylvia did, that it
was not like Christmas.

Grace came over in the morning bringing a little chased
gold ring for Sylvia, which the little girl promised
always to wear. She wished that she could tell
Grace about the lockets, but decided it would be better
to surprise Grace with the locket itself.

As soon as Grace returned home Sylvia ran to find
her mother.

“We will go down street and buy the lockets
to-morrow morning, won’t we, Mother?”
she asked, and Mrs. Fulton promised that they would
start early.

Sylvia resolved that, if the lockets and pictures
did not take all her money, she would buy a doll for
Estralla. She knew that nothing else would please
the little colored girl as much as a “truly”
doll.

But the morning of December twenty-sixth found the
city of Charleston angry and excited. Crowds
collected in the streets, and Mr. Fulton received
a message from Mr. Robert Waite asking him to remain
at home until Mr. Waite arrived.

“What is the matter, Father?” Sylvia asked.

“He isn’t coming to take back Estralla,
is he?”

“No, of course not, child. It is trouble
over the forts,” responded her father.
And in a short time Mr. Waite arrived. But he
was not smiling this morning. He was very grave
and serious.

“Major Anderson has evacuated Moultrie, and
he and his men are at Fort Sumter,” said Mr.
Waite. “I came to assure you that whatever
action Charleston takes that I will protect your household
and property as far as possible.”